


Shy little Fox, Sly little Fox

by philatos



Series: Kit!Yuuri verse [1]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Angst, Child Katsuki Yuuri, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fox Katsuki Yuuri, Foxes, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kitsune, Kitsune Katsuki Yuuri, M/M, Parental Victor Nikiforov, Rating May Change, Recovery, Tags May Change, no shota
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:21:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23344657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/philatos/pseuds/philatos
Summary: Humming to himself he stretched, cracking his neck. Going back to work sounded like hell at the moment. Least of all because he’d have to brave the rain that was now pouring down in sheets around him.Finishing up his coffee, Victor reached for his thermos, ready to pour another cup. Something rustled in the bushes in front of him, causing his eyes to unconsciously flicker upwards.Right up into the gaze of a pair of big brown eyes.
Relationships: Katsuki Yuuri & Victor Nikiforov, Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov
Series: Kit!Yuuri verse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1844620
Comments: 15
Kudos: 151





	Shy little Fox, Sly little Fox

**Author's Note:**

> Ok!!! So this is a fic I've been working on for several people (y'all know who you are!!) and I'm so happy that i finally finished the first chapter! Now to clarify! This fic does not contain any shota content despite Yuuri's age. I will explain more in later chapters but trust the process! (No judgement btw, just clarifying things!)  
> Basically this whole AU was inspired by  
> [this](https://twitter.com/tsubu_ta/status/1231936080976330754?s=20) art right here that picked me up and threw me into Kit!Yuuri hell cos GODDDDD THEY'RE SO CUTE THERE I CANNOTTTTTT. So lol here we are after months and months of flinging hc's in all directions XD  
> I really hope y'all enjoy this (and that i will actually update soon lol). Have fun and I hope y'all love kit!yuuri as much as i do <3  
>   
> 

Victor Nikiforov had a perfectly ordinary life all things considered.

He’d grown up with a perfectly normal family, in a perfectly normal neighbourhood in the nice part of town. After graduating high school with honors, he’d gone off to university where even his ‘wild’ partying days were pretty tame, all things considered. Once that was done, he’d gotten himself hired by one of the best publishing houses in Russia, and while it wasn’t a dream job or anything, he did his work well and slowly but surely made his way up the company ladder.

It wasn’t that he was unhappy, per se… Quite the opposite actually. He had enough money for a nice apartment, a good car, and all the further trappings of city life. He met up with his friends for drinks every now and again. He could ensure that his parents were well cared for and that he could go see them relatively often. So yeah, all things considered, he had done extremely well for himself. 

It was just that… he couldn’t help but feel like something was still missing. Bringing up his concerns with his best friend, Chris had bore no fruit, with the latter recommending that he download Tinder and see where that went. Victor had taken that advice but it had led absolutely nowhere, ending with him deleting the app after about a month of trying.

As time passed, he began to learn to live with the ever present hole he felt inside, figuring that if anything was meant to fill it, it would come in due time. Till then, he would do what he could in finding little pleasures that would sweeten each of his days until it came. One such ritual of his was his daily lunch break. He’d been fortunate enough to be stationed in a building that was a 5 minute drive away from his favorite park. Hia parents used to take him there almost every day when he was a child and some of his fondest memories were of chasing butterflies in the spring across the grass covered pathways. 

Therefore every afternoon, granted that things weren’t too hectic at the office, Victor would pack his things and head down to the park where he’d sit and enjoy his meal in peace. It was usually pretty quiet in the afternoons, with nothing but the occasional elderly person showing up in his field of vision. 

That day was no different. At 1pm sharp, Victor quickly packed his things and headed out, giving his assistant a quick nod. He was definitely looking forward to the lunch he’d packed today so his steps were a little quicker than usual. Unfortunately, that resulted in him not seeing the angry looking clouds gathering above him until he was in the middle of the park itself.

“Fuck,” he muttered, feeling the first few drops of rain hit his head, dripping down his neck. “Just perfect.”

Picking up his bag, Victor made his way to a nearby gazebo which was blissfully empty. Could be worse, he supposed. Watching the rain while snacking on the  _ blini  _ he painstakingly made that morning wasn’t a terrible situation. Pulling out his thermos he poured out a cup of coffee, enjoying the way the aroma melded with the calming scent of the rain around him. 

He leisurely sipped at the beverage, brewed exactly the way he liked. Dropping an indecent number of rubles on a luxury coffee maker might have been an impulse purchase but damn him if he wasn’t going to at least try to get his money’s worth. It wasn’t like he couldn’t afford it, but Victor wasn’t the type to throw money at things. No amount of 24k vodka bottles could make him as happy as just sitting out in a quiet park somewhere, enjoying his alone time. 

Humming to himself he stretched, cracking his neck. Going back to work sounded like hell at the moment. Least of all because he’d have to brave the rain that was now pouring down in sheets around him. 

Finishing up his coffee, Victor reached for his thermos, ready to pour another cup. Something rustled in the bushes in front of him, causing his eyes to unconsciously flicker upwards. 

Right up into the gaze of a pair of big brown eyes.

“Fuck!” he gasped, heart racing in shock, his thermos flying behind him, coffee splattering on the concrete.. 

Quick as a flash, those eyes disappeared, hiding deep in the bushes. Victor stared at the spot they were a second ago, wondering if he’d imagined it. No, he definitely saw something, that was certain. But… what was it? Normally he’d chalk it down to some animal of sorts, but those eyes looked… human. Or at least eerily close to human. 

Breathing heavily, Victor strained his eyes to look at the shrubbery. Something was in there. The bushes weren’t big, he doubted a fully grown person could be hiding in there. If something was there, it was clearly no bigger than a child. 

Unable to stamp down on the curiosity within him, Victor stood up, stepping out of the gazebo into the rain, peering into the thicket of green before him. “Hello?” he said. “Is something there?” Pushing past the branches, he caught sight of something hiding in a little gap between the bushes. 

“What the fuck…” he muttered to himself. Crouching down he scrambled forwards, pushing past the branches to see what on earth was squirreled away in them. 

Moving forwards, he was greeted with a loud hiss, startling him. Fuck, it might have been some type of animal after all. Not wanting to get rabies or some other god forsaken disease, he came to a quick stop, eyes straining as he tried to make out the shape before him. 

He could see a big fluffy thing in the dark, probably a tail of some sort? It looked like a fox tail if he had to guess which would explain the hiss he’d just heard. But those eyes… those eyes definitely did not belong to a fox. 

Taking a deep breath, Victor parted the overhead branches, letting in a beam of light. When he saw what lay crouched in a corner, he gasped in shock, eyes widening. 

It looked exactly like a human child… minus the fluffy tail behind him, now bristled and swishing back and forth aggressively. Also the pair of twitching pointed ears on his head, emerging from coal black hair. The boy’s face was locked in a snarl, teeth bared as he hissed at Victor, looking ready to strike if he came any closer. 

“Bozhe moi,” muttered Victor to himself. “A kitsune? Here of all places? How did a little thing like you end up here hm?” Looking carefully Victor noticed that the boy's clothes had definitely seen better days. They looked tattered and were steadily getting soaked from the rain. His face was no better, with dirt covering his pink cheeks. How long had he been living on the streets like this?

“Oh you poor thing,” murmured Victor. “Come on, it’s ok, Лисичка. I won’t hurt you,” he said, holding his palm out. “You shouldn’t be out in the rain like this.”

The kitsune hissed again, the glint of his sharp little teeth visible in the dark. His bushy tail swung around quickly, twice its usual size. The poor thing was clearly very distressed. He couldn’t be more than a kit really. Probably abandoned by an irresponsible owner. He was also definitely hungry if that were the case. Looking carefully, Victor could see how gaunt the boy looked, all skin and bone under his tattered clothes. 

“Hold on, I might have something for you,” he mumbled, rummaging in his work bag. Pulling out his lunchbox he opened it and set it before the boy, pushing it as close as he could. “Here, take whatever you like.” What did kitsunes even eat anyway? Hopefully the  _ blini  _ he packed would entice the boy enough. “It’s good, I promise,” he said encouragingly. 

The boy sniffed at the box, eyeing it suspiciously. Eventually his hunger won out and he reached for it, grabbing a piece before wolfing it down. The rest of Victor’s lunch soon followed, gone in a flash as the boy stuffed himself. Victor’s heart broke a little watching him. The boy was clearly malnourished and would not survive long out on the streets like this, especially with the unforgiving winter months on the horizon. He had no idea what to do but he did know he couldn’t leave him like this, his conscience wouldn’t be able to bear it. 

Making a decision he took out his phone and quickly tapped on his assistant’s name. “Georgi!” he said. “I’m sorry but I’m going to need you to inform the floor I won’t be back today. Please reschedule any meetings I have and apologize on my behalf.”

“Of course.” came the voice from the other end. “ Is something wrong?”

“Just ran into a small emergency. I’ll be back tomorrow, thanks.”

Ending the call, Victor looked back at the boy. He was licking Victor’s lunchbox clean, desperately searching for any crumbs he might have missed. 

“I’m sorry I don’t have more on me right now,” said Victor. “But if you come with me, I’ll get you more food? Maybe a hot drink too? Anything you like. I promise I won’t hurt you,” he said, carefully reaching out his open palm to him once more. “Ok?”

The kit looked at him with suspicion, his ears flat against his head. Not wanting to spook the poor thing, Victor waited patiently, ignoring the fact that his clothes were completely soaked at this point. He would wait all day if he needed to, but he was not leaving the kit all alone here. 

Eventually, the kit moved forwards, timidly sniffing at Victor’s hand. “There you go, what a brave boy you are,” murmured Victor soothingly. The boy rubbed his head against Victor’s palm, allowing Victor to tentatively pat his head and scratch his ears. 

Now that he was in the light, Victor got a better look at him. “What a pretty thing you are,”he mumbled absentmindedly. The boy looked Asian, probably Japanese, like most kitsune, with coal black hair and warm brown eyes. His ears were dark at the base, gradually lightening to white at the tips. His tail was the same, with the addition of a large band of orange around the middle. Victor wasn’t an expert on kitsune by any means but he knew this one was very young. He looked about the size of a four year old human but he had no idea what that meant in kitsune years. 

“There you go, you like those, don’t you?” murmured Victor, scratching behind the boy’s ears. “I should probably call the vet. Or maybe the doctor? Where would I take a little thing like you, hm? Checking his neck, Victor could see a collar wrapped around it with a little tag attached. Maybe he could find the boy's owner. Reaching for it, he started as the boy hissed at him, teeth bared once more. 

“Ah I’m sorry!” he said, raising his palms in surrender. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that. I won’t do it again, alright?”

The kit gave one final hiss before stopping, still wary of him. Victor held his hand out again, letting the boy come to him once more. 

“You’ve been through a lot, haven’t you?” he murmured, scratching at his ears. “Come, we should get inside. You’ll catch your death if we stay out here any longer.”

As if on cue, the boy sneezed, making Victor chuckle. “Thought so.” Getting to his feet, Victor held out his hand. “Ok?” 

The kit looked at him and then back at the waterlogged den he’d been in. It didn’t take long for him to make a decision, timidly putting his hand in Victor’s much larger one. 

“Good boy,” praised Victor, leading him away. The boy held on to him tightly, tottering forwards as he tried to keep up with him. The poor thing was soaked to the bone, teeth chattering from the cold. Cursing himself for not having an umbrella, Victor took off his soaked blazer. The outside was wet but the inside was still relatively dry. 

“Hold still,” he told the boy, carefully placing the blazer over his head. It wasn’t great protection but it was better than nothing. “Just hold onto this alright? Let's not get you even more soaked.” 

The kit nodded, little fingers gripping the wet fabric tightly. Satisfied, Victor continued walking with him, hurrying forwards until they reached the edge of the park where his car was. Opening the back door he gestured at the kit who looked at him apprehensively.

“It’s safe, I promised,” said Victor. “I just need to get you somewhere warm, ok?”

The kit’s eyes flitted towards the car and then back to him. He started trembling, biting his lip as big fat tears rolled down his cheeks. “No,” whispered the kit, his voice barely audible over the mingling sounds of rain and traffic. 

Victor’s eyebrows rose up hearing the kit’s voice. Looks like he could speak, after all. Poor thing was probably too distressed to say more earlier. The boy was shivering, and Victor doubted it was entirely from the cold. He looked close to bolting, eyes darting all about as if looking for an escape route. 

“Hey,” said Victor soothingly, grabbing the kit’s attention once more. Getting down on one knee so they were at eye level, Victor grasped his hand. “It’s ok, there’s no need to be scared Лисичка. I promise I won’t hurt you, alright? But we can’t stay out here, or you’re going to get very sick,” he said, giving him a little tap on his flushed nose. Can you trust me, little one? Here,: he said, lifting his little finger. “I’ll make a promise. I swear I won’t hurt you and I’ll keep you safe. Alright?”

The kit stared at his extended finger for a moment before cautiously sniffing it. Looking at Victor in confusion he rubbed the tip of his nose against it, making Victor laugh. 

“I suppose you don’t know what a pinky promise is do you?” laughed Victor softly. “Never mind then.” Rubbing the tips of his ears with his finger, Victor hummed, letting the boy calm down once more. When he looked less anxious, Victor asked again, “Ready now?”

The kit took a deep breath, glancing at the car. His ears twitched minutely, shaking off the droplets of water clinging to them. Exhaling, the boy nodded slowly as he climbed into the car, clambering onto the cream colored leather seats. 

Victor smiled. “Good boy,” he praised. “Let’s get you somewhere warm, ok?”

Closing the door, Victor quickly went around the car, opening the front door and getting in. Switching on the car, he immediately cranked the heater up to the highest level, wanting the boy to warm up as soon as possible. Satisfied, he pulled out of his parking spot and got on the road. 

“So,” he said, after setting his GPS straight for home. “Do you have a name?”

The boy looked at him through the rear view mirror, head cocked as he listened. “A name,” repeated Victor. “What do people call you?”

The boy bit his bottom lip, looking like he was just about to say something but hesitation held him back. “It’s ok,” said Victor. “You don’t have to tell me if you’re not ready, alright? I just want to know what to call you.”

The kit stayed silent, his form almost hidden behind his tail. Victor hummed to himself. What a shy little thing. No wonder though. He had clearly been through a lot and Victor didn’t want to even think about what could have happened to him. Kitsunes definitely did not come cheap and it’s highly unlikely that anyone would have abandoned one as young as the boy. Kitsunes were generally marketed as elite pets, with even the lesser pedigreed ones going for an easy ten million rubles each. And of course there was the unspoken purpose of owning a kitsune. A socially acceptable form of sex slavery, really. Looking at the boy again, Victor’s heart clenched, There was no way he was going to let the boy fall into anything like that.

The rest of the drive was quiet, the silence only broken by the hum of Victor’s Prius and the occasional rustling noises as the kit tried to get comfortable. He had curled up on the backseat, clutching at his tail for comfort as he watched the world go by through the window. 

Soon enough, Victor found himself pulling into the parking lot of his apartment complex. “Alright, we’re here. Just sit tight, I’ll come get you.”

Getting out of the car, he opened the door for the kit and held out his hand for him. The boy looked at him for a moment before taking it in his own and hopping out of the car. 

“Good boy,” praised Victor. “Now hold on tight, alright?”

The kit nodded, clinging on to Victors hand as he led him inside. He was quiet as Victor took him up, looking around curiously during their elevator ride. By the time they reached Victor’s front door, the kit looked a lot perkier than before, sniffing around, tail twitching behind him. 

“Inquisitive little thing, aren’t you,” chuckled Victor, letting them both in and closing the door behind him. “Alright, let’s get you cleaned up.”

Grabbing a clean towel, Victor ferried the boy into the bathroom. He prepared the bath quickly, throwing in some lavender to soothe the boy’s frazzled nerves. Once satisfied, he picked up the kit and placed him on the closed toilet. 

“Alright, before anything we need to clean those nasty scrapes of yours.” he said softly, not wanting to scare the poor thing. Pulling out the first aid kit from under the sink, he dipped a cotton ball in disinfectant. “This might sting a little.” Gently taking the boy’s palm, he turned it upwards and dabbed at the multitude of scratches on it.

The kit cried out in pain, snatching his hand away. “I’m sorry little one,” said Victor quickly. “But I need to clean those.” Holding his hand out, Victor asked, “Can we try again?”

The kit hissed at him, shuffling back as far as he could go.

“I know it hurts. But I need you to be a strong kit for me, alright?” tried Victor. “If we don’t clean those up, they’re going to hurt a lot more later. I know you’re a brave little thing aren’t you?”

The boy looked at him, hesitation crossing his face. 

“Please, little one? For me?”

Biting his bottom lip, the kit held out a trembling hand to Victor, big fat tears beginning to drip down his cheeks. 

“Such a brave boy,” cooed Victor softly. “I’ll be quick, ok?”

Victor kept to his word, administering the disinfectant as quickly as he could. The boy whimpered in pain as Victor made sure to get all of his cuts and scrapes. When he had finished with his limbs and face, Victor threw the used cotton away. 

“Ok see, that wasn’t so bad was it?” beamed Victor. “What a brave little kit you are.”

The kit gave him a nervous little smile, one that was quickly hidden behind his tail when Victor smiled back. Victor laughed softly. What a shy little thing.

“Now, let's get you into the bath. Arms up.” said Victor, miming the motion.

The kit raised his arms, allowing Victor to take off the remains of his t-shirt. Dropping it to the floor, Victor glanced back at Yuuri and a loud gasp escaped him. 

“Боже мой”,” he muttered. “What the fuck...”

The boy’s arms and torso were covered in blue black marks, some fresh, some old. The boy seemed nervous all over again, trying to shield his eyes from Victor’s gaze. 

Victor exhaled shakily. There was no way those marks were natural, even if the kit had been sleeping rough for a while. He knew exactly what those were but he couldn’t linger on the thought too long before white hot rage began burning behind his eyes. 

“Did….” he tried. “Did somebody hurt you?” he asked, voice cracking at the end. 

The kit looked down at himself, idly tracing his fingers on a particularly large bruise on his ribs. He nodded slowly, eyes not meeting Victor’s own. 

“Ok.” Victor swallowed, willing down the bile behind his throat. “Was it a stranger?”

The kit shook his head.

“I see.” Victor's voice shook. Looking at the collar still wrapped around the boy’s neck, the pieces clicked into place. “Was it…. the person on this?” he asked, pointing at the tag on his neck. 

The kit nodded, tears once again spilling down his cheeks. 

“You poor thing,” murmured Victor, rubbing the boy’s arm. “Hey, it’s ok,” he said, seeing the boy’s tears. “It’s ok, you’re safe now, alright? I won’t let anyone hurt you ever again.”

The boy sobbed, hiding his face in his hands as heaving sobs wracked his tiny form. “M’bad,” he cried, flinching away from Victor’s gentle touch. “I’m a bad kit.”

“Oh sweetheart, you’re not. I don’t know who told you that but you are certainly not a bad kit,” said Victor firmly. “I see a very brave kit that was hurt by some very bad people. A very sweet, good kit.” 

The kit sniffed, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. “Really?” 

“Really,” assured Victor. “I swear on my life.”

The fox gave him a brave smile, eyes shining through the tears that clouded them. “Ok.”

“Such a brave boy,” Victor cooed. “Are you ready to tell me your name, little one? My name’s Victor but you can call me whatever you like, ok?”

“V-Victor,” mumbled the kit, stumbling over the unfamiliar word. “M… M’ Yuuri.”

“Yuuri?” repeated Victor, making the boy nod shyly. “What a pretty name. It matches you perfectly.” Victor was about to continue but stopped, catching sight of his neck, now uncovered by his shirt. The skin there looked almost rubbed raw, chafed by the too tight collar around his neck and the scratch marks that surrounded it, undoubtedly from Yuuri as he tried to claw it off.

“Yuuri?” he said carefully. “Would you like to take that off  _ малыш?” _ he said, pointing at the collar.

Yuuri nodded. “Please. It hurts a lot.”

“Of course. Can you turn around for me?”

Yuuri did as he was told and Victor felt around for the opening. The material felt cheap,, the synthetic fibres rough and scratchy against Victor’s fingertips. He couldn’t even imagine how much worse it felt around a neck. He quickly found the clasp. It was certainly more complicated than the average dog collar, probably to prevent the kit from taking it off himself. Taking a closer look he cursed. 

“What’s wrong?” asked Yuuri.

The collar needed a key to unlock it. Yuuri’s bastard of an owner really didn’t want his kit getting lost apparently. Gritting his teeth, Victor swallowed down his rage, not wanting to stress the poor boy out.

“It’s nothing, Yuuri. I just need to cut this off you. Don’t worry, I’ll be very careful,” he said, sensing the boy’s fear. Reaching for the scissors he kept in his bathroom cabinet, Victor slid two fingers inbetween the collar and Yuuri’s neck to protect him. 

“Ok, just hold still. We’ll get this nasty thing off you.” Victor started snipping, the cheap material fraying easily under his blade. “In one, two, three!” Victor snipped through the final piece and the collar fell onto Yuuri’s lap.

“There,” said Victor. “Feel better?”

Yuuri’s hands came up to feel his neck, free for the first time in god knows how long. Big fat tears gathered in his eyes and spilled down his cheeks. “T-Thank you,” he cried. “It hurt so much.” 

“I know, I know,” soothed Victor. “But now you'll never have to wear it again, ok? I promise. Is it ok if I have it for a while?” he said, looking at the collar in his lap. 

Yuuri nodded, handing it to Victor, who slid it into his pocket. The tag on it would be extremely useful for later, he figured. “Thank you, Yuuri. Now, how about you get in the bath hm? Let’s get you all nice and clean.”

The boy’s tail twitched as he nodded again, quickly undressing. Victor picked him up easily and gently placed him in the half filled bath. 

“Bubbles?” he asked, smiling as the kit’s ears pricked up. “Should have guessed.” He poured a capful of bubble bath soap into the warm water and grabbed a clean washcloth. 

The kit giggled as he played with the bubbles, letting Victor clean him up gently, minding his bruises and scrapes. Most of the dirt came off easily but his tail proved a challenge. His beautiful fur had been caked in mud, the fur matted and knotted in some places. Victor figured conditioner was the best thing he had on hand and carefully massaged a huge dollop of it into his tail. It took a while but after carefully combing it out, it looked as good as new. 

Giving the boy a final spritz with the shower, Victor carried him out, wrapping him up in a big fluffy towel that reached his toes. “There, good as new,” he smiled, setting him down on his bed. “I don’t think I have any clothes your size but I’m sure I can figure something out for now.”

Rummaging in his closet, he found an old pyjama shirt that had long since shrunk in the wash. He helped the kit put it on, chuckling as he saw it still fell past his knees. “I’ll buy you some new clothes later ok?” he said, making a mental note to do some online shopping later.

“V-Victor?”

“Yes?” said Victor, turning back around. “Is something wrong?”

“M-My tail. Hurts.”

Victor looked over and saw what the boy meant. His tail was stuck under his shirt. “Ah, I see. Give me a second, ok?”

Going back into the bathroom, Victor grabbed his pair of scissors. “Alright, hold still.”

Carefully, he cut a hole into the back of the shirt before gently pulling Yuuri’s tail through. 

“There!” he beamed. “All better?”

Yuuri nodded, his tail swishing from side to side. 

“Great. Well, I’m sure you’re hungry aren’t you? Let's get you some food and maybe some hot chocolate if you want?.”

Yuuri nodded eagerly, ears pricking up at the sound of that. “And marshmallows?” he asked softly.

“I don’t know if I have any right now but I’ll see what I can do.” smiled Victor, ruffling his slightly damp hair. “Follow me?” he said, getting to his feet and holding his hand out.

Yuuri tentatively put his hand in Victor’s much larger one and followed him out into the living room. “Ok, you can sit here.” he said, putting him on the plush sofa and switching on the tv, rapidly flicking through the channels until he landed on one that played cartoons. “I’ll get you some food.”

Victor kept an eye on the kit as he rummaged through his things, thankfully having some cocoa powder he’d forgotten about. The boy had spent some time watching TV before being transfixed by the floor to ceiling windows Victor had. Now he sat in front of them, looking down onto the city streets, tracing the pathways of cars with a tiny finger. It had started raining some time ago, angry clouds swirling above with the dull roar of thunder signaling that worse was to come. It was a good thing Victor found him when he did. Imagining the poor thing caught out in a storm like this made him sick to his stomach. 

Pouring the cocoa into a mug, Victor quickly put together a bowl of cereal too.His pantry was embarrassingly bare which was not surprising given his slight takeout addiction. This would have to do for now.

“Yuuri,” he called, setting the bowl on the kitchen counter. “Come eat.”

The little fox came running over, looking up at the bowl with big eyes. “Hold on,” said Victor, quickly lifting him up and placing him on the chair. “There we go. Eat up, alright? You need your strength.”

Yuuri sniffed at the bowl curiously, poking at the floating corn flakes with his spoon. “Try it,” Victor encouraged. “I promise it’s not bad.”

Yuuri scooped some flakes up with his spoon and lapped at it cautiously before putting it in his mouth. Swallowing it slowly, he seemed to find it good enough to continue with, so he began eating with more fervour, barely chewing on it at all.

“Glad you like it but please slow down, Yuuri. I don’t want you to choke.”

Yuuri frowned but did as he was told. Victor’s already bruised heart took another blow as he considered how hungry the boy must have been. Who could mistreat a child like that? Some people would be better off wiped from the face of the earth. He was glad Yuuri managed to escape when he did or god knows how much worse things could have been for him.

“Done!” said Yuuri, jolting Victor from his thoughts. 

“Well done!” said Victor. “Would you like more?”

Yuuri thought for a moment but shook his head.

“That’s alright. But don’t forget your hot chocolate,” he said, pushing the mug towards him.

Yuuri took it, his tail whipping around in excitement before falling in disappointment. “No marshmallows?” he said, looking into his cup sadly.

“Ah sorry  [ лисичка ](https://context.reverso.net/translation/russian-english/%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%BA%D0%B0) . I didn’t have any. Tell you what. If you finish all your hot chocolate today, I’ll buy you a big bag of marshmallows tomorrow alright? You can have as many as you want in your hot chocolate then.”

Yuuri’s eyes brightened once more. “Promise?”

“Cross my heart.” said Victor tracing his finger in an X over his chest.

The kit giggled. “Ok!” he chirped, before drinking up the rest of his hot chocolate. Victor smiled, happy to see him getting some nutrition, even if it was just cereal and hot chocolate. He didn’t want to think about how long the boy had been out there, surviving off scraps. And it was doubtful that his situation was any better with his owner. 

Making a mental note to look into that later, Victor stood up. “Ok, I think it’s time for you to go to bed for today. I can’t imagine how exhausted you must be.”

“Not tired!” insisted the kit. His eyes flickered back to the TV. “Can I please watch some more? Please? I’ll be good!”

Victor couldn’t help but smile at the kit’s insistent tone. “Ok, just for a little while. I need to get the room ready for you anyway.”

Giving him a light pat on his head, Victor watched as he scurried off, clambering onto the sofa, eyes glued onto the screen. He couldn’t help but be reminded of his younger cousin who had acted almost exactly the same as a kid, albeit with a much fouler mouth. Come to think of it, they even had similar names… Yuri was not going to be pleased with that. 

Laughing to himself, Victor got busy, clearing away the dishes before preparing the spare bedroom he had, He rarely got visitors but Yuri would occasionally pop by whenever he had an argument with his parents and needed some time to cool off. So thankfully it was decently furnished and would serve as a good place for the kit until he figured out what to do with him at least. He changed the bed covers and gave the room a quick dusting, opening the curtains and windows to air it out a bit. Once satisfied he went back outside to get Yuuri.

“Yuuri,” he called. “That’s enough TV, time to-” 

His sentence was left hanging as he was greeted with the sight of a sleeping kit, curled up into a ball on the couch with the TV still playing. 

“Not tired, huh?” laughed Victor. Switching the TV off, he picked the boy up, careful not to jostle him too much. He took him to the spare room, pushing the door open with his foot before gently placing him on the bed. He tucked him in under the covers, making sure he wasn’t sleeping on his tail. 

“Sleep well,” he murmured, switching on the desk lamp he brought in. He wasn’t sure if Yuuri would be afraid of the dark but better safe than sorry. Getting up, he left quietly, leaving the door ajar just in case he needed him that night. 

The rest of the evening passed by uneventfully, as Victor cleaned a little bit before heading to bed. His head buzzed with thoughts about what he was supposed to do next. Tracking down the boy’s original owner was definitely on the top of the list but Victor had no intention of giving Yuuri back to him. If anything Victor wanted the bastard arrested and locked away forever so he wouldn’t hurt anyone like he did Yuuri ever again. And then there was the issue of finding the boy a good home, one that would protect and raise him properly. Maybe a lawyer would be able to help with that. 

It was almost silly to admit but the thought of sending the boy away made Victor’s heart ache a little. He had only had him for a day but Victor was already slightly attached. He’d always liked children, having spent most of his late teens babysitting his bratty kid cousin. He’d given up hope of having any of his own anytime soon with how dire his love life was but he’d be lying if he never thought about it from time to time. And with Yuuri being an absolute angel it was hard to not get too attached…

But no, he couldn’t allow himself to think this way. He wasn’t prepared to take in a child and Yuuri would be happier with kids his own age to play with. He would look into finding a good foster home for the kit when he was healthier and that was that.

After sending off a few messages to Georgi informing him that he would be working from home for longer than expected, Victor switched off his phone and closed his eyes. The steady sound of rain on his window, coupled with the tender feelings in his chest when he thought of the kit gently lulled him into a deep sleep.

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


_ “Victor!” _

Victor jolted awake with a start. Lightning arched across the sky, illuminating his bedroom for a second before being followed by the cacophonous clap of thunder. “Y-Yuuri?” he gasped, hearing his name being screamed a second time. Jumping out of bed, he rushed to check on the boy, fearing that he had gotten ill. Pushing the door open he was greeted with a terrified yelp as the boy hid under the covers, only the tips of his ears visible.

“Yuuri?” said Victor, coming closer and kneeling by the bed. “Hey hey, it’s ok. It’s just me, alright?” he said trying to keep his voice as soothing as possible. “Can you tell me what’s wrong?”

“N-Nightmare,” the boy sobbed. “An- And the thunder. I- I’m s-sorry for waking you up but I was so scared. I tried to be b-brave, I really tried but I c-couldn’t, I’m sorry.”

“Oh sweetheart,” said Victor softly. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. The thunder is pretty scary, huh? So is the lightning. And you had a nightmare too? I think you’re a very brave kit for facing all that. But it’s ok, I’m here now. I’ll tell the thunder, lightning and all the nightmares to go away if it tries to scare you again alright?”

Yuuri peeked out from under the covers, sniffling as he looked at Victor. “P-Promise?”

“Promise.”

Yuuri took a deep breath before emerging from under the covers, wiping at his tear stained cheeks. 

“Such a brave kit,” praised Victor. “Do you want to talk about the nightmare, Лисичка?”

Yuuri shook his head. 

“Alright, we don’t need to. You just try to go to sleep again, ok? I’ll stay right here until you fall asleep, don’t worry.”

“You won’t leave?”

“Not unless you want me to. Do you want me to stay?”

Yuuri nodded, squeezing Victor’s hand tight.

“Then I’ll stay.” smiled Victor. “Now come Лисичка, close your eyes and try to sleep. Good night.”

“Good night, Victor.” whispered Yuuri, closing his eyes. 

Victor continued kneeling at his bedside, softly singing a lullaby his mother sung to him when he was a boy, thumb running soothing circles into Yuuri’s hand until the boy drifted off, his hand falling limp against Victor’s. 

“Sleep well  _ малыш,”  _ said Victor, as he tried to make himself as comfortable as he could, knelt on the floor like he was. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Language notes
> 
> Лисичка: "little fox"  
> Боже мой: "oh my god"  
> малыш: term of endearment for a child
> 
> All from google so idk how accurate it is XD
> 
> Kudos are appreciated and comments fuel me.  
> Follow me on Twitter (new) @[Philatoswrites](https://twitter.com/Philatoswrites) for writing updates and snippets


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